Zinnia, Senora™

Short Description

This is one of the prettiest, most eye-catching zinnias we've encountered.

Full Description

The luscious color, a one-of-a-kind shade of salmon pink, makes it a welcome addition to the sunny front border. This lush, prolific bloomer glows and grows to 36", with large, double-blooming flowers that are outstanding in a bouquet. Free-flowering and heat-tolerant.

Type
Some flowers and vegetables fall into subcategories that may define how they grow (such as pole or bush), what they are used for (such as slicing tomatoes or shelling peas), flower type, or other designations that will help you select the type of a class of plant that you are looking for.

Mexican

Sun
The amount of sunlight this product needs daily in order to perform well in the garden. Full sun means 6 hours of direct sun per day; partial sun means 2-4 hours of direct sun per day; shade means little or no direct sun.

Full Sun

Height
The typical height of this product at maturity.

36 inches

Spread
The width of the plant at maturity.

12-14 inches

Ornamental Use
Ways in which the product may be used in the garden for ornamental effect.

Beds, Borders, Cut Flowers

Life Cycle
This refers to whether a plant is an annual, biennial or perennial. Annuals complete their life cycles in one year; biennials produce foliage the first year and bloom and go to seed the second year; perennials can live for more than two years.

As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or grow seedlings 3-4 inches beneath fluorescent plant lights turned on 16 hours per day, off for 8 hours at night. Raise the lights as the plants grow taller. Incandescent bulbs will not work for this process because they will get too hot. Most plants require a dark period to grow, do not leave lights on for 24 hours.

Thin to one seedling per cell when they have two sets of leaves.

Seedlings do not need much fertilizer, feed when they are 3-4 weeks old using a starter solution (half strength of a complete indoor houseplant food) according to manufacturer’s directions.

Transplant hardened-off seedlings to the garden after the frost.

Before planting in the garden, seedling plants need to be “hardened off”. Accustom young plants to outdoor conditions by moving them to a sheltered place outside for a week. Be sure to protect them from wind and hot sun at first. If frost threatens at night, cover or bring containers indoors, then take them out again in the morning. This hardening off process toughens the plant’s cell structure and reduces transplant shock and scalding.

Sowing Directly in the Garden:

Direct sow seeds in average soil in full sun after all danger of frost.

Prepare the soil by removing weeds and working organic matter into the top 6-8 inches of soil; then level and smooth.

Most plants respond well to soils amended with organic matter. Compost is a wonderful form of organic matter with a good balance of nutrients and an ideal pH level, it can be added to your planting area at any time. If compost is not available, top dress the soil after planting with 1-2 inches of organic mulch, which will begin to breakdown into compost. After the growing season, a soil test will indicate what soil amendments are needed for the following season.

Sow seeds evenly 12 inches apart and cover with ¼ inch of fine soil.

Firm soil lightly with your hand, water and keep evenly moist.

Seedlings will emerge in 7-10 days.

Thin seedlings to stand 18-24 inches apart, depending on the variety, when they are about 1-2 inches tall.

Planting in the Garden:

Select a location in full sun with good rich moist organic soil.

Prepare the bed by turning the soil under to a depth of 8 inches. Level with a rake to remove clumps of grass and stones.

Most plants respond well to soils amended with organic matter. Compost is a wonderful form of organic matter with a good balance of nutrients and an ideal pH level, it can be added to your planting area at any time. If compost is not available, top dress the soil after planting with 1-2 inches of organic mulch, which will begin to breakdown into compost. After the growing season, a soil test will indicate what soil amendments are needed for the following season.

Dig a hole for each plant large enough to amply accommodate the root ball.

Place the top of the root ball even with the level of the surrounding soil. Fill with soil to the top of the root ball. Press soil down firmly with your hand leaving a slight depression around the plant to hold water.

Water thoroughly, so that a puddle forms in the saucer you have created. This settles the plants in, drives out air pockets and results in good root-to-soil contact.

Use the plant tag as a location marker.

Keep weeds under control during the growing season. Weeds compete with plants for water, space and nutrients, so control them by either cultivating often or use a mulch to prevent their seeds from germinating.

Mulches also help retain soil moisture and maintain even soil temperatures. For annuals an organic mulch of shredded leaves lends a natural look to the bed and will improve the soil as it breaks down in time. Always keep mulches off a plant’s stems to prevent possible rot.

Keep plants well-watered during the growing season, especially during dry spells. Plants need about 1 inch of rain per week during the growing season. Use a rain gauge to check to see if you need to add water. It's best to water with a drip or trickle system that delivers water at low pressure at the soil level. If you water with overhead sprinklers, water early in the day so the foliage has time to dry off before evening, to minimize disease problems. Keep the soil moist but not saturated.

Until plants become established, some protection from extreme winds and direct, hot sunlight may be necessary. Good air movement is also important.

After new growth appears, a light fertilizer may be applied. Keep granular fertilizers away from the plant crown and foliage to avoid burn injury. Use low rates of a slow release fertilizer, as higher rates may encourage root rots.

Pinch young plants to encourage branching unless you are growing them exclusively for cut flowers and want long stems.

Monitor for pests and diseases. Check with your local Cooperative Extension Service for pest controls recommended for your area.

Remove plants after they are killed by frost in fall to avoid disease issues the following year.

Plant zinnias in mixed plantings with other summer-blooming annuals, or place small groups of zinnias among perennials. They are at home in cottage and children’s gardens, and they are often grown in cutting gardens.

Shorter zinnia varieties are ideal for containers. Take care not to overcrowd them or the flowers may be significantly smaller than they should be and the plants may be taller. Always use a commercial potting mix, do not use garden soil, and make sure the containers have adequate drainage. Container grown plants will require extra water and fertilizer, look for signs of wilt or a nutrient deficiency.

Cut stems before the flower is open for cut flowers.

Zinnias attract hummingbirds, butterflies and beneficial insects.

Product Details

Type

Mexican

Sun

Full Sun

Height

36 inches

Spread

12-14 inches

Ornamental Use

Beds, Borders, Cut Flowers

Life Cycle

Annual

Sow Method

Direct Sow/Indoor Sow

Bloom Duration

12 weeks

Flower color

Pink

Reviews

Zinnia, Senora™ is rated
3.0 out of
5 by
14.

Rated 4 out of
5 by
SamT from
Lovely and FloriferousA hard to find color that performed in a stellar fashion. I grew these in a cutting garden with improved soil and they performed like champs. Despite the onslaught of Japanese Beetles - they bounced back and put on loads of lovely blooms. I'll have them in my garden again next year.

Date published: 2016-09-01

Rated 3 out of
5 by
madge from
Blooms not as large as picturedWhile I had no problems with germination, the blooms were not as large as the picture or as full bodied. About 50% of my blooms were more pale in color, but the rest were the color that is shown. They did last 5-7 days in a vase as a cut flower, and so performed well in that regard. I probably won't get this variety again, but instead buy a different zinnia.

Date published: 2016-08-03

Rated 5 out of
5 by
St94583 from
GorgeousI always start either indoors or in my mini greenhouse in peat pots the beginning of March and place in pots outside in 3rd week of April. My flowers don't usually have as many petals as picture, but constantly bloom all summer and make great cut flowers.

Date published: 2015-04-20

Rated 1 out of
5 by
mantis from
DisappointingSenora plants were less vigorous than other zinnias planted, the flowers were not very full or large, the color was not vibrant, and the blooms did not last well. I was so eager to try these with all the hype. Perhaps they do better in other climates.

Date published: 2015-03-08

Rated 2 out of
5 by
TheChairman from
DisappointingI started these seeds indoors, and unlike others, I had no problems with germination.
The blooms were pretty, but none of them every looked nearly as nice as the pictures provided on the Burpee site. They were not nearly as lush (fewer petals per flower), and for me the color was much closer to pink than salmon.
Mostly what disappointed me was how quickly the blooms faded. I planted them intermingled with Burpee's Purple Prince variety (which I highly recommend), and the Senoras were pretty sad in comparison.

Date published: 2014-11-29

Rated 2 out of
5 by
sortagreenthumb from
Unfortunate DisappointmentEvery year I grow zinnias. They're pretty, easy to grow, and the squirrels leave them alone. I wanted so much to love these. The picture was eye catching, and I thought the salmon would be a great offset to the lime (Envy) zinnias I was also planting. (Question my tastes, but I live in a brown brick, brown-painted wood condo townhouse, so I NEED color!) Like some other planters, I had a very low germination rate with direct planting (I got 2 plants out of the whole package) and the ones that came up were, um, sad. They faded quickly and looked rather well, anemic. They were not very vigorous. (Lime ones were a different story) Was very disappointed, since the pictures online look amazing! Did not bother to grow again.

Date published: 2013-09-02

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Susanmaria from
Grows well, but disappointed.I have lots of plants and they are flowering they don't produce the "stunning" flower I was hoping for. They look faded and past their bloom very quickly. If this is your sort of flower you will like it but I found it rather a disappointment.

Date published: 2012-07-15

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Happy from
Zinnia,SenoraThere where only 2 plants that came up from that package of seed.
Bad seed.
Unhappy customer